{% include "includes/auth/janrain/signIn_traditional.html" with message='It looks like you are already verified. If you still have trouble signing in, you probably need a new confirmation link email.' %}

The kids are not all right: New CDC study suggests 1 in 54 U.S. boys autistic

Ethan, a six-year-old North Palm Beach boy with autism, wears a special RF wristband because of his tendency to wander. / PB Post

New estimates on the number of children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder have just been released by The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the numbers are chilling.

One in 88 children have been diagnosed with autism, based on studies of 14 communities in the United States, including Miami. Boys are hardest hit — 1 in 54 boys have been diagnosed.

This is a 23 percent increase since 2009.

I’ll repeat that: It now appears that 1 in 54 boys in the United States is autistic; 1 in 88 of all children.

The data show that in Miami, researchers estimated 7.2 children per 1,000 are diagnosed with autism. The national average prevalence is 11.3 per 1,000.

What would happen if 1 in 88 members of Congress suddenly, inexplicably, went blind? Six out of 535 elected officials – unable to see.

How much of the federal government’s scientific and national security machinery would be put to work finding the cause and the cure?

How much attention would the issue attract on the nightly news, and for how long? Would you discuss it on Facebook? Twitter?

In 2006, data suggested that one in 110 children were autistic in the United States. It was met with collective concern, and then most people moved on to other issues.

Scientists still don’t know what’s causing this spike. The, “We’re better at diagnosing it” response explains some of it, but not enough.

Several months ago I wrote about some research that suggests antidepressant use in pregnancy may be a concern, after studies have shown that fetal exposure produced autism-like changes in rat pups, and because an estimated 1 in 10 pregnant women are now on antidepressants. See the full report here.

There’s evidence that the use of some epilepsy drugs during pregnancy cause autism, too.

Could antidepressants be a cause? Are there other causes?

Do you think it’s time for a more concerted, coordinated effort to find out? Please share your thoughts.